Wildlife Wednesday: Loggerhead Shrike

While hiking through the open terrain in Red Rock Canyon, you can often spot the loggerhead shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) on top of shrubs and yucca plants. These birds feature a gray body with black wings, a white chest, and a black horizontal stripe that covers their eyes. Loggerhead shrikes tend to nest in thorny vegetation to protect their offspring from predators. They prey upon insects, lizards, and small snakes & rodents. For larger prey items, loggerhead strikes will impale them on cactus spines or yucca leaves and leave the animal hanging to dry. Additionally, these hanging animals serve as stored food for later and can be used by males to attract females during breeding season.

Southern Nevada Conservancy, a 501c3 nonprofit organization based in Las Vegas, NV, serves Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area under a formal agreement with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in many ways, including interpretive programming, fee-station management, retail operations, and this website.